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PIETERMARITZBURG, Friday - Chaminda Vaas produced a sensational opening spell of left-arm fast bowling taking four wickets in his opening over including a hat-trick to enable Sri Lanka crush Bangladesh by ten wickets with 28.5 overs to spare in a Group B match of the 2003 World Cup at Pietermaritzburg Oval here today.

Vaas took a hat-trick with the first three balls of the match and after conceding a four and a wide picked up a fourth wicket to finish with four wickets in his first over. He took his fifth wicket in his third over and returned later to claim his sixth and end with figures of six for 25 off 9.1 overs as Bangladesh slumped to four for five wickets and later to 124 all out in 31.1 overs.

It was a unique piece of bowling for never in the history of the one-day competition had any bowler performed a hat-trick by taking wickets with the first three balls of a match, although there had been 15 previous instances of bowlers doing the hat-trick.

It was the second time in his illustrious career that Vaas had achieved the hat-trick in the shorter game. In December 2001, he took a hat-trick against Zimbabwe on his way to recording the best bowling figures in one-day internationals - 8 for 19 at the SSC grounds. Zimbabwe were shot out for 38 - the lowest total in one-day internationals.

Bangladesh however didn't suffer the same fate and recovered partially thanks to some loose bowling by Prabath Nissanka (who took the place of the injured Pulasthi Gunaratne) and Dilhara Fernando to score 124.

Bangladesh also have their lowest ever total in one-day internationals against Sri Lanka when they were shot out for 76 at the SSC in August 2002.

Sri Lanka openers Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya made short work of the total by racing to 126 without loss in 21.1 overs. Atapattu surprisingly outscored his more adventurous partner making 69 not out off 71 balls with 11 fours. Jayasuriya made a rather subdued 55 not out off 57 balls inclusive of seven fours and a six.

The win gave Sri Lanka a further four points in the competition and put them on top of Group B with eight points. They beat New Zealand by 47 runs in their first game.

Winning the toss Jayasuriya had no hesitation in inviting Bangladesh to bat first on a greenish pitch which had some moisture on it due to the absence of the sun. The match began in sultry conditions and although Vaas bowled superbly, it was the poor shot selection of the Bangladeshis that put them in a tight spot.

"The wicket was a little damp and there was moisture on it. That's why we put them into bat and we were successful," said Jayasuriya after the match.

Hanan Sarker attempted a big drive off the first ball and was bowled, Mohammad Ashraful was out to the next delivery when he failed to control his shot and put up an easy return catch and then Ehsan Hoque with only three one-day internationals behind him before today, edged the third delivery straight into Mahela Jayawardene's hands at second slip. Vaas and the Sri Lankans were celebrating the hat-trick. No sooner had the celebrations died down, Sanwar Hossain drove the fourth ball to the cover boundary for four and Vaas then bowled a wide. But off the legal fifth ball he took his fourth wicket when he won a lbw decision against Hossain from umpire Russell Tiffin.

Vaas took his third haul of five wickets in a one-day international when Mohamed Al-Sahariar got the leading edge onto a drive and spooned an easy catch to Aravinda de Silva at mid-off.

De Silva incidentally was making his 300th one-day international appearance for his country and overall became only the fifth player in the history of the game to do so after Wasim Akram, Mohammad Azharuddin, Steve Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar.

Vaas came off after his initial spell of six overs that gave him figures of five for 14 with one maiden and Bangladesh got some breathing space to recover through a 45-run liaison off 61 balls between skipper Khaled Mashud and Alok Kapali. Kapali made a top score of 32 off 67 balls with two fours and a six off Fernando before the bowler finally had his revenge by having him scooping a catch to Jayasuriya at mid-off.

Mashud played a fighting knock of 20 off 67 balls with two fours before off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan trapped him lbw on the back foot. Muralitharan proceeded to take two further wickets by having Mohammad Rafique and Tapash Baishya caught to reduce Bangladesh to 98-9. But Masrafe Mortaza ensured his side got past at least the 100-run mark with some lusty blows that fetched him 28 runs off 23 balls including a six off Muralitharan and four fours.

Vaas returned for his third spell to finish the innings off by having Mortaza caught at point by Muralitharan, leaving Manjurul Islam unbeaten on three.

Vaas picked up the man-of-the-match award.

Jayasuriya said that they were not taking any games lightly were treating all the games alike.

"Any international is tough and it is not easy. We are quite aware of that," said Jayasuriya whose team now travel to Paarl where they meet Canada on Wednesday.

BANGLADESH

Hannan Sarkar b Vaas			  0
Al-Sahariar c de Silva b Vaas         		 10
Mohammad Ashraful c and b Vaas        	  0
Ehsanul Haque c Jayawardene b Vaas    	  0
Sanwar Hossain lbw b Vaas           		  4
Alok Kapali c Jayasuriya b Fernando   		 32
Khaled Mashud lbw b Muralitharan      		 20
Mohammad Rafique c
Sangakkara b Muralitharan			  6
Tapash Baisya c Arnold b Muralitharan 	  5
Mashrafe Mortaza c Muralitharan b Vaas 	 28
Manjurul Islam not out               		  3

EXTRAS (B-1 LB-4 NB-2 W-9)          		 16

TOTAL (all out, 31.1 overs)        		124

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-5, 5-25, 6-70, 
7-82, 8-88, 9-98

BOWLING: Vaas 9.1-2-25-6 (w-2), Nissanka 5-0-22-0 (nb-2 w-2), 
Fernando 7-0-47-1 (w-5), Muralitharan 10-4-25-3

SRI LANKA

M.Atapattu not out                          	  69
S.Jayasuriya not out                       		  55

EXTRAS (NB-1 W-1)                             	    2

TOTAL (for no wicket, 21.1 overs)           	126

Did not bat: M.Jayawardene, K.Sangakkara, A.de Silva,

R.Arnold, H.Tillakaratne, M.Muralitharan, C.Vaas,
D.Fernando, P.Nissanka

BOWLING:
Manjural Islam 6-1-22-0, Mashrafe Mortaza 5-0-38-0 (w-1),
Tapash Baisya 3-0-21-0 (nb-1), Mohammad Rafique
4.1-1-22-0, Sanwar Hossain 2-0-14-0, Alok Kapali 1-0-9-0

Result: Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets.

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